Quick Hits: Retrans

WASHINGTON —The American
Cable Association has asked
the Federal Communications Commission
not to use its denial ofTime Warner Cable’s retransmission
consent-related petition to
block one set of station sales as
precedent in ACA’s petition to stop
another, citing what it says are key
differences between the two disputes.

For one, the trade group representing
smaller independent cable
operators said, it is trying to block
the creation of a virtual triopoly
among Big Four net affiliates, while
TWC was trying to to the kibosh on
a duopoly involving affiliates of The
CW — which it says is a big difference
in terms of clout. The issue
for both the ACA and TWC is what
the cable operators argue is the
unreasonable and unfair retrans
negotiating power for collective bargaining
in a single market.

Troubling Tally for ATVA

WASHINGTON — The American Television
Alliance, a group of cable operators,
telcos and others pushing retransmission-
consent reforms, says there have
so far been five retrans blackouts this
year, as many as there were through
October of last year. According to
ATVA, they are: